Malaysia Houzz Tour: Stylist's Ipoh Home is Black-and-White Chic

Caroline Chin-Geyler marries the look of colonial-era black-and-whites with modern conveniences and themed rooms

Houzz Singapore Editor. Architect-turned-design journalist. Serial renter and wannabe-minimalist. Frequent visitor to the URA City Gallery to see the evolution of the Singapore shophouse in scale models.

When you’re an in-demand interior stylist with projects around the region, it can take a while to put your own dream home together.

Singapore-based interior stylist Caroline Chin-Geyler of Arete Culture has created many dream spaces for local and overseas clients, so it felt like it took ages to renovate the landed home she and her husband Eric bought in Ipoh.

House at a GlanceWho lives here: Caroline Chin-Geyler of Arete Culture and her husband Eric call this home during their holidays; her mum lives here with a helper and 11 dogsLocation: Ipoh, MalaysiaType of property: Eight-bedroom landed homeSize: Approximately 6,000 square feet

The house was purchased four years ago, but Chin-Geyler has been collecting the furniture, decor and art pieces throughout her travels for years. It took the Geylers about three months on and off last year to complete an extension that features two more bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a swimming pool and an outdoor entertainment area.

The couple comes here for long weekends every couple of months, longer holidays, and to entertain groups of family or close friends. On a daily basis, it’s Chin-Geyler’s mum – and her 11 dogs – who enjoys the stylish oasis that her daughter created.

“I’ve always loved colonial black-and-white homes. As a stylist, I’m captivated by how elegant they feel. I always knew I wanted my home to emulate the feel of a black-and-white, with its high ceilings and exposed beams. However, I also knew the shortcomings of living in a historical home, and I wanted reliable modern-day conveniences that would be difficult to find in them,” Chin-Geyler says. And so she built her own contemporary black-and-white, infused with her trademark indoor-outdoor, colourful style.

Chin-Geyler says: “I have a soft spot for the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Regency period – I love the opulence, bold use of colour and rich, contrasting texture like glass and velvet. But I also loves the laid-back charm of tropical villas, so this home is a confluence of both styles.” Hence the main decor styles in this holiday home are Hollywood Regency meets Asian beach resort.

Chin-Geyler brought in large panelled mirrors to bring in sunlight from the outdoor entertainment area into the dining room, to brighten it up.

A statement chandelier accentuates the dramatic, double-height ceiling. The colour palette in this area is more muted than the vibrant living area, to transition between the outdoor entertainment area and the living area. The dining chairs and table are bespoke from Arete Culture.

The master bedroom is Chin-Geyler’s personal interpretation of Hollywood Regency. Baroque wallpaper sets the tone for a more luxurious and formal feel. Tufted elements – the headboard and the furniture – are mixed with the Art Deco patterns on the bedside tables and bedroom bench. Mirrored and metallic accents amp up the glitz factor.

As with some other pieces of furniture in this house, the bed is a prototype for Arete Culture’s Bespoke Boutique Collection.

For this bedroom, Chin-Geyler took inspiration from an old villa she stayed at during a trip to Italy. The Colosseum-print wallpaper is the background to the upcycled furniture that the stylist refinished in a lighter colour scheme to give the room a breezier feel.

Chin-Geyler often travels to Bali for work and wanted to create a room that embraced the casual beach house ambience that many Balinese villas embody. She used feathers, tassels, beads and shells to dress up this bedroom, while the tree-print wallpaper adds another nature element.

This bedroom was inspired by the colonial black-and-white house, so it features a classic striped wall paired with a formal tufted headboard. Chin-Geyler used soft furnishings and graphic elements to infuse a little drama and personality to this room.

This bedroom belongs to Chin-Geyler’s sister, Juline, who is also an interior stylist at Arete Culture. Her personal style is more toned down (than Chin-Geyler’s) when it comes to colour, and she likes animals, so there’s a zebra-print wallpaper with plush monochrome furnishings.